Remains of a Crystal Heart
by CorinnetheAnime
Summary: She had changed...Yugo could tell. Her eyes used to have a bright and cheerful glimmer in them, eyes that sparked hope and light...but now they were dull and emotionless, expressing her cold and bitter demeanor. However, he would do anything to save her from that new crystal heart of hers...even if she brought him down to his knees again and again.


**Alright, episode 117 was...intense. After watching it, I loved all the metaphors and symbolism in the duel, especially when Yugo's D-Wheel was crushed and his visor damaged by Rin's new monster...**

 **I just had to write something after watching that. And this time, I focused on the...nature of a crystal, deciding to compare it to what the Doctor transformed Rin into.**

 **In other words, Rin has become a crystal herself...if you see what I mean. Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

 _"Rin, have you forgotten the feelings that we have placed in this D-Wheel...?!"_

 _"..."_

 _"Please, Rin, try to remember!"_

 _"I don't care about that stupid thing anymore...duel me, Yugo."_

* * *

He refused to believe it...there was no way that she...but...his heart wrenched painfully just thinking about the duel that had just transcribed between them...

She had changed. She wasn't the same Rin that he had remembered before...but was it of her own will, her own choice that made her hate him...that forced her to throw away her dream...?

No, they shared a dream together, a dream to build that precious D-Wheel and to ride it and win the Friendship Cup...together.

But now...that dream was shot down, along with all the others...and there was no way that she would ever have made that choice on her own. Someone else was in control...

* * *

 _"...Rin, what about the Friendship Cup? We always shared that dream to win it..."_

 _"Duel me, Yugo."_

* * *

She was so eager to fight him, uncharacteristically so. It was as if she was uncaring or oblivious to everything else, only focusing on fighting and defeating him. She was ruthless in her objective...and while she was indeed a tough opponent in their past, they knew that it was only a game, duels that led them to enjoy each other's company at the end of the day.

But this time...it was different. She was more emotionless and yet vicious in her attacks, fighting like some sort of...animal...and he was unnerved by the dead look in her eyes, finding no sign of life or light in them. Her bright and cheerful gaze was now replaced by a dark and cold stare.

And her monsters' attacks...were as cold and bitter as the winter's ice. There was no voice, no love...no emotion at all, only a sharp and forceful attack.

Her mind was completely clear and empty, void of anything...like that of a crystal.

And in order to break that crystal, he had to win the duel...

* * *

 _"...Rin, Look at this! It's the Clear Wing Synchro Dragon you love! You loved to watch it fly more than anything else! You always said that as long as I had it, I can win!"_

 _"Trap activate...!"_

 _"Rin...you've brought Clear Wing to this state? WHY?!"_

* * *

There was nothing left in her that reminded him of the Rin he knew in the past...she had weakened his dragon and crushed his heart.

Something was very wrong with her...there was no way that the Rin he knew would ever act so...so...cold and uncaring, so calculating. It was as if her own heart was replaced with ice, just as her mind was clear and emotionless like the crystal monster that she rode on...

Wait...perhaps...there was a way to win her back. For as iron sharpened iron, perhaps a stronger block of crystal could break another...

It was his last chance to bring her back. If he were to break the barrier of ice and crystal that controlled her heart and mind, then they would be free again. There was only one thing left to do...

But then...she brought out... _that_ monster...

* * *

 _"I fuse together Wind Witch - Winter Bell and Parasite Fusioner!"_

 _"Fu-Fusion Summon? Parasite Fusioner? What's that nasty thing? Why does Rin have that monster...?"_

 _"Sound of the winter wind through the snow, combine with the inner voice and intensify the ringing bells! Fusion Summon...come forth, crystal bell that sounds solemnly! Wind Witch - Crystal Bell!"_

* * *

Her new monster...he never recognized it in her deck before. It was new...and it was a _fusion_ monster. And what was even worse...where did she ever get that awful parasite monster...?

Lost in his thoughts, he was too late in seeing the monster attack...and the force had sent him flying off the stairs and falling to the ground away from his vehicle, hearing the horrific sounds of his D-Wheel crashing and breaking upon impact...

He wished that it was only a nightmare, that he would wake up from this frightening reality...but he couldn't. She had truly done it.

His D-Wheel...was broken. She had viciously broken their dream, disregarding it as nothing...why? Why did she do that?

* * *

 _"Our...Rin and my D-Wheel...!"_

 _"What's wrong? Stand up. The duel is still going."_

 _"YOU! You've forgotten about them? The dream we put into this D-Wheel?"_

 _"..."_

 _"Our hope? Our future?!"_

 _"..."_

 _"Remember! Remember those feelings! Those days when we were chasing our dream!"_

 _"..."_

 _"RIN!"_

 _"... Crystal Bell's effect activates."_

* * *

Even after breaking and crushing their dream, Yugo still hoped to see some hint of remorse in her eyes...but there was none. His fragile heart was torn in two, conflicted in whether he should give up hope in trying to save Rin...or to continue on fighting, to save her from whatever control Academia had over her.

But...it was a very personal and deep blow to his own heart when she literally destroyed his dream...no, their dream. He questioned if he can really save Rin now...

No, he still could. Even if she broke his heart, he would never give up on her that easily. Otherwise, if he did...he would fail both her and himself, and he would never forgive himself for making that choice.

He would still try everything to save her from her own crystal heart...even if she brought him down to his knees again and again.

* * *

 _"Your LP is still at four hundred and fifty. I'm still at full and you can't use your D-Wheel anymore. It's obvious that you have no chance at winning, right?"_

 _"..."_

 _"Now, hurry up...and surrender."_

 _"Surrender? I don't even know...the meaning of that! Sorry, but I'm just stubborn."_

 _"..."_

 _"That's why I've been traveling dimensions for you. We finally found each other...and there's no way I'll give up when I've come so far!"_

 _"..."_

 _"No matter what, I'll bring you back to normal! RIN!"_

* * *

Yes...he would do anything to bring her back to her normal self...and as he drew _that_ card, a new path opened up before him.

No matter what, he would never give up on her. Even if the world around them fell apart, even if their dreams were burned and crushed, even if their future was more bleak and darker than the night itself...they would always stick close by to each other, both as comrades and as friends...no matter what.

After all, she was his most precious friend and treasure, more so than anything else. And not even Academia would keep them apart...

* * *

 _"I'm tuning the Level seven Clear Wing Synchro Dragon to the Level one Red-Eyed Dice! Bathe in the holy light and coat your wings with brilliance! Strike down our enemies with that radiance! Synchro Summon! Come forth! Level eight! Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon!"_

* * *

His dragon soon struck down her monster, even though the latter used a powerful effect. From the destruction, Rin flew in the air with a piercing cry, and Yugo's heart stopped beating for a moment.

He immediately ran over to make sure she was alright, nearly breaking down in tears at the implication of what might've happened to her...and when she opened her eyes, there was a light in them, a light and brilliance that he recognized all-too-well...

And then...she smiled, that warm and loving smile that would always brighten his day...

She was back...she was finally back to him! She was his again...she was finally back to her caring self again. She was...Rin again, his Rin.

Academia had failed. He had proudly beaten them...and he had found his Rin again.

His heart was overjoyed at the revelation...but then...

* * *

 _"When Crystal Bell is destroyed...I can Special Summon Winter Bell and Parasite Fusioner from my Graveyard..."_

 _"Rin?"_

 _"And then...using Parasite Fusioner's effect, I fuse the two together and summon back Crystal Bell."_

 _"No...Rin!"_

 _" Parasite Fusioner becomes an equip card to it."_

 _"No way...how?_

 _"..."_

 _"Is it...that? The thing that fuses with Rin's monster...Rin is like this because of that insect?!"_

 _" Crystal Bell's effect...I activate Ice Bell's effect in my Graveyard and inflict five hundred damage to the opponent..._

 _"Rin...ARGH!"_

* * *

He tried to bring her back...but all of his efforts were in vain. They were for naught. And even though he was lying on the ground, he could hear her footsteps fade away, off into the distance...

He had failed her. She was too strong...and he had failed to save her, to bring her back to her senses and to him. She was still lost, still gripped under the tyrannical control of Academia...and he still couldn't do anything about it in the end.

The Rin that he knew and loved...was forever gone. She was gone...because of him.

He had lost...a part of himself.

And from deep inside himself, he heard a pained roar filled with anguish and sorrow echo loudly, resounding through the air like that of a somber bell's ring. There was nothing left inside...except a hollow hole in his heart that could never be healed...

All because...he failed to break her crystal heart.

* * *

 **Whoo, it's done. Took me around an hour to type this...I don't know if this was very good at describing Yugo's perspective (and Rin's personality) on episode 117, but I hope it clarifies a few things. XD I changed a few things from the original subtitles in order to make this more impactful and heart-wrenching...poor Yugo.**

 **Also, if anyone can find the little part of a Bible verse/quote in here, guess in your reviews/PM. I'll give you a hint: you can find it in Proverbs 27. ;) Have fun!**

 **Anyway, read, review, DO WHATEVER YOU LIKE! XD And until next time, this is CTA out! AND GOD LOVES YOU! :D**


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